


Drarry Ever After

by lightninganddragons



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Harry Potter as Cinderella, M/M, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightninganddragons/pseuds/lightninganddragons
Summary: Harry is an orphan, soon to be Lord of House Potter, but currently living as a servant to his Aunt and Cousins. Draco is a Prince, who needs to find love before his 21st birthday to ascend to the throne as King.Based on Cinderella.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Cinderboy

**Author's Note:**

> Ever After (1998) is my favorite movie of all time - here's my Drarry take on it.

Chapter 1. Cinderboy  
Once upon a time, there was a Young boy who lived in a manor house in Godric’s Hollow, with the best gardens in the country. His father James was a minor Lord of the House of Potter, and had businesses dealing in plants and potions in the adjacent villages and kingdoms. His mother Lily was a common country girl with no lineage, but possessed an extraordinary talent in potions, which was perhaps what drew James to her.

Harry was a bright child, and showed magical talent at a young age. He was the light of Lily’s life, and she encouraged his curiosity and love of learning, and to be kind to all, regardless of their station in life. Harry took to this to heart and was often found helping their servants in the farm, and especially caring for their horses and other animals. When Harry was 10, a plague struck their neighboring village and threatened to spread through the kingdom. Unfortunately for Lily and Harry, James caught the disease in his travels and soon died. Lily found out that her sister’s husband, Baron Vernon Dursley, also died, and left his family with his gambling debt. She quickly extended an invitation to Petunia and her girls, Darlene and Daphne, to live with them in Potter Manor.

It did not take long for Lily to regret her decision. Darlene and Daphne were both lazy, and spent their time playing games instead of helping with the farm chores. Petunia did not have the heart to discipline her girls, and instead indulged by buying them the latest fashions in dresses and shoes, and all sorts of useless trinkets. She had a shouting match with Lily regarding the fact that they shouldn’t be spending their money on such trivial things, but Petunia answered that the Potters had old money and could afford it. Lily was frustrated, and her only comfort came when she sat beside Harry’s bed at night, reading to him and telling him stories of how kindness will always triumph over evil. She also started teaching him the household finances and telling him how, when he turns 21, he will be Lord of House Potter, and represent their family in the Assembly of Lords.

Lily and Harry continued on with James’ businesses, with Harry taking care of the farm for their potion ingredients, as well as some vegetable crops, dairy cattle, and horses, while Lily continued to experiment on improvements in their potions. One day, a few weeks before Harry’s 16th birthday, Lily’s experiment had gone wrong and she inhaled toxic gas. The healer was not able to spell away all the fumes, and estimated that she may die of lung tissue damage in the next few days. Lily resigned to accept her fate, but cried for her baby, her Harry, who will be left without a family. Lily spent her remaining days with Harry at her bedside, reading to her, and promising to keep the farm and their business afloat. She set aside a modest fund for Harry, as she was sure that Petunia would be given control of the Potter accounts when she was gone.

Because Harry was still a minor and could not receive the title of Lord Potter until he was 21, Petunia was assigned as his regent. She was useless, not knowing anything about taking care of a full household with all their farmhands and servants. She also indulged her daughters too much, and within a year, their finances had dropped so much that they had to let go of half their staff. The remaining half had to take on extra work, and Harry, as kind as he was, took on most of the house chores to relieve them of some of the burden. Petunia was in denial of their family’s finances and continued to spend and indulge in the latest trends for her daughters, while Harry worked himself to the bone just to keep their farm and their business afloat. As usual, Harry’s cousins were still useless and instead of helping, made things even worse by making so much mess that needed extra spellwork from Harry. The extra strain on his magic made him feel cold all the time, and he resigned himself to sleeping on the floor beside the hearth to keep himself warm. The girls took to calling him Cinderboy because of the soot and the smell of firewood that always lingered on him.

This was his life from the time he was 16, until one day, two months before he turned 21, when everything changed.


	2. Prince Charming

On the hillside surrounding Godric’s Hollow stood the Castle that housed the Royal family. It was the most beautiful scenery, with the farmlands, meadows and forests, and a calm river flowing through the village center. This was the view that Draco Malfoy-Black grew up with. His father, Lucius, was the King Regent, while Draco was not yet of age. His mother, Narcissa, had been the Queen, as the only remaining true blood member of the Royal House of Black. She was a lovely woman, and beloved by her subjects, for she was fair and kind in her ruling.

The Plague had taken Narcissa as victim, and the kingdom grieved for her as much as their own loved ones. Lucius’ grief was worst as he had grown sullen and reserved, even to Draco. When Narcissa was still alive, Draco, as the next King, had learned from her that a good ruler must always place the good of his subjects above himself. Lucius, unfortunately, lost the love of his life, and turned cold and cruel in his rule. He even decreed that Draco could not ascend to the throne if he had not found a suitable partner. 

“It’s for your own good.” Lucius said coldly, in the Spring before Draco’s 21st birthday. “You have a responsibility to the kingdom. You need to make sure you’re ready, and you have a partner to see you through it.” Draco could not believe what he was hearing. “But Father, I am still young, and I have you to rely on as well.” Lucius finally dropped his posture and held Draco’s hands. It was the first time he had ever shown any emotion, since Narcissa’s death. “I loved your mother more than life itself. She was my strength, and I would like to believe that I was hers as well. I want you to have the same. I will not live forever, and I cannot always be around, and you need to make sure you will have an heir, for the good of our Kingdom.” 

Draco was quiet for a while, relishing the first real interaction he had with his father since the past four years. “I understand Father. I want what you had with Mother, but I am afraid I cannot have that for myself. I realized some time ago that I am gay Father. I do not know how I can find my true love and keep my responsibility. I do not want to disappoint you, so I find I must let go of that dream.” “Oh my child. Yes, your mother and I knew you were gay. She had even contacted a distant cousin to help her create potions that would allow you to have children of you and your partner’s blood, but I had not heard back from him. You should ask your tutor, Lupin. He knew the potioneer personally, and he can get you in touch.”

Draco was surprised, as he thought he had hidden his inclinations from his family. Lucius chuckled, “Oh you thought you were so clever, but you mother always caught the way you stared at the captain of the guard whenever they held their exercises in the courtyard. We did not mind, as long as you honor your responsibility and provide an heir to the throne. That is why she contacted Lupin’s friend.” “It matters not father, I have not met anyone who has piqued my interest. The courtiers the nobles, and the knights here, they don’t have what I want. I can’t even tell what I really want, but I’m sure I’ll know it when I see it.” “Then I suggest you get out of the castle and visit the village. While you are at it, find the potioneer to check if they were ever able to create that potion Narcissa requested.” “Thank you Father.” With that Draco left, his heart lighter than it had ever been, not knowing in just a few days, his fate would be changed forever.


	3. Horses and Stable Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter up! My work is now back up in full swing, so I haven't had time to update. I'm planning to get a chapter up at least monthly.

On the first week of May, Draco decided to visit the village market, as his father recommended. He had written to Lupin, and he agreed to come back to the Kingdom and meet with him that day. Leaving the castle was a little tricky, for there was news of a group of bandits terrorizing those that traveled the highway from the castle to the village. Instead of taking the highway, Draco decided to take his horse through the river path, cutting through the most beautiful garden farm in the village outskirts, before getting to the central market. What he did not count on was his horse breaking a shoe along the rocky banks. He spotted a stable close by, and decided to ask for help, either to get a spare shoe, or to borrow a horse.

That same day, Harry was in a bad temper. He had to cook a second batch of breakfast for Daphne, because the eggs were not the correct consistency, and Seamus, one of their farmhands, just had a baby last night, so he had to do the harvest himself. It was still morning, but he was already tired, and Daphne had the urge to go to the market for a new set of earrings. So here he was, picking fresh peaches while on his way to the stables to prepare the horses for the carriage.

As Harry approached the stables, he heard a soft voice. “Here now, relax, good boy.” Padfoot, his best mount, was neighing loudly. “Sshh, come on, just let me… Ah!” followed by the sound of trotting. Harry quickly picked up his basket full of fruit and ran to intercept the horse thief. “Oh no you don’t, you’re not getting my horse, you thief!” He shouted as he started throwing peaches at the cloaked figure on top on Padfoot. “Aah, no stop, stop that!” Harry continued pelting him with the fruit, all the while shouting. “What do you think you’re doing, stealing from us honest folk! Who do you think you are, lazy sodding bastards!” Harry was no longer thinking of the thief, but of his cousins and aunt who have made his morning, and his past four years, hell. 

Draco was finally able stop struggling with his cloak and faced his assaulter. “Stop that! I only mean to borrow your horse, and I shall return him immediately!” Harry finally saw the face of the thief, and was surprised to recognize the Prince. “Oh Lord! Forgive me your highness, I did not recognize you! Oh God I shall be punished and executed, oh what have I done!” Harry cried out.“Come now, no need for such dramatics. Just let me have your horse today, and I’ll forget this ever happened, okay?” Draco said in haughty tone. Harry knelt and bowed his head to the ground. “Here now, no need for that.” 

Harry stood, head still bowed, and passed a bucket of water and a clean cloth for the prince to clean up. He waited in silence. “Here, take this. As payment for my borrowing your horse. I’ll return him before sunset. Just, find my horse along the river path, he broke a shoe and I didn’t want to hurt him. Let him into your stable and get him farrier, so I can take him back with me when I return.” “You are too kind your majesty, Thank you. And I’m sorry again, for calling you names and getting you all dirty, here, you can have my cloak, and I’ll have yours cleaned and ready when you come back to return Padfoot.” “I’ll see you later then.” And with that, Draco left, confused from the morning’s events, and he savored the scent of firewood, peaches, and an earthy musk, from the boy’s cloak.

Harry’s heart was hammering fast, and he forced himself to relax as he picked up the Prince’s soiled cloak. He had admired the gorgeous Prince from his portraits for so long, with his beautiful blond hair and intense stormy eyes, and He could not believe that he actually met him. He breathed in the scent of forest, mint, and lavender, before he headed to the river to find the horse and to wash the cloak. ‘I certainly missed my chance to make a good impression’, Harry thought to himself, as he glimpsed his reflection in the smooth waters of the riverbank. His hair was a mess, his face was darkened with soot in places, and streaked with tear tracks. His green eyes were rimmed with red, and had dark purple bags underneath. He knew he looked like this even before his encounter with the prince. He sighed deeply as he hung up the now cleaned cloak, and prepared the horses for the carriage.

“Hey Cinderboy, what’s taking so long? We’ll be late to the marketplace! I heard the Prince will be there today!” Daphne screamed from inside the house. “All right, all right, I’m on my way!” Harry shouted back. Harry let Ronald, their actual stable boy, take the ladies to the market. “Hey Ron, when you get back, please check on the other horse there? He needs shoe replacement.” “Sure Harry. Anything else you need? You look like you had a fine morning. Earlier today I thought you were about to pull your hair out!” “It was a strange morning. I met someone… Well I’ll tell you about it later, can you take these bitches away now, please?” Ron laughed at that.

Harry took some time to clean himself up and pick up their crop and the latest potion orders, before heading to the market himself, hoping that he won’t bump into the Prince, or at least that he did not recognize Harry, so that he won’t die of embarrassment.

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language so I may have some grammar errors. Please let me know your comments!


End file.
